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February 25, 2004
The Onion to the rescue
For a fresh take on marriage in Massachusetts, you must read an article in this week's Onion. That link might not work past next Tuesday, but I had to post it.
As an aside, I just have to add a rant...
Some folks, including Debra Saunders in a recent SF Chronicle op-ed, have recently dismissed any comparisons between Mayor Newsom's stand and Rosa Parks-era civil disobedience, implying that marriage rights aren't as important as, say, the right to vote.
I can't help but get angry at that. Once again, gay people are being presented as whiners who are asking for special treatment, when the reality is that these rights are so basic it would be ludicrous to deny them to any other minority. As an exercise, substitue "interracial marriage" for "gay marriage" in any current news story. It quickly becomes obvious that Bush would look like a fool for "calling for an interracial marriage ban" and Saunders would be a racist for stating, "Mayor Gavin Newsom was wrong to flout state law by authorizing interracial marriages." And to imply that there's no problem with requiring interracial couples to become "Domestic Partners" instead of married would be laughable.
OK, enough ranting for now. Must calm down and resume day.
Posted by Chris at February 25, 2004 09:21 AM
You are absolutely right, Chris! Thank you for the rant!!
I was just talking to a friend of mine this morning and he was saying it reminded him of the interracial marriage controversy in the sixties -- California had a law on the books banning it until 1960 (imagine!) What happened to change it was a very Rosa-Parks-just-do-it type of thing that is happening now. Keep in mind, too, that Rosa Parks did what she did as part of an orchestrated action by the civil rights movement as a spark to ignite the fire.
Anyway, yay social progress! I am happy to be alive and witnessing this moment!
Posted by: deb at February 25, 2004 03:13 PM